Vertigo & vestibular disorders decisions — 2001

The Board denied an increased rating for the veteran's labyrinthitis, currently rated at 30 percent.

The Board has determined that the veteran's claims for service connection for hearing loss, tinnitus, and Meniere's disease are not well grounded. The RO must apply the new law to the veteran's claim under the provisions set forth in the Veterans Claims Assistance Act of 2000.

The veteran's symptoms involving headaches, lack of energy, restlessness, feelings of fatigue, flu-like symptoms, muscle pain, short-term memory loss, vertigo, and loss of strength of the upper extremities have been attributed to a known clinical diagnosis of chronic fatigue syndrome. The Board has denied service connection on a presumptive basis as these symptoms are not due to an undiagnosed illness related to his service in Southwest Asia during the Persian Gulf War.

The veteran's claims for right ear hearing loss, refractive error, muscle cramps of the feet and chest pains, difficulty falling asleep, history of prostate cancer, duodenal ulcer, and dizziness/vertigo (claimed as vestibular neuritis) were all denied. The service connection was granted only for left ear hearing loss.

The Board has denied the veteran's claims for service connection for various conditions, including migraine headaches, a gynecological disorder, a psychiatric disorder, tinnitus with vertigo, rhinitis, sinusitis, a dermatological disorder defined as acne or eczema vulgaris, and fibromyalgia. The RO also denied an increased disability rating for service-connected joint pain and stiffness of the right hand, right wrist, and both knees, as due to an undiagnosed illness.

The Board found no evidence linking the veteran's current disequilibrium disorder to his active service and denied his claim for service connection for Meniere's disease.

The Board has granted an effective date of July 24, 1990 for the grant of service connection for Meniere's type syndrome.

The Board has granted an increased rating for interstitial keratitis to 30 percent effective from the date of claim, May 21, 1992.

The veteran's service-connected Meniere's disease has resulted in marked loss of balance, frequent falling, and weakness and limitation of motion of the hips, necessitating regular use of a wheelchair. The Board finds that these conditions meet the criteria for specially adapted housing.

The Board has reopened the veteran's claims for service connection for Meniere's disease and a back disorder, finding that new evidence supports these claims. The veteran's symptoms of dizziness, ear pain, and hearing loss during service are considered to be manifestations of his later diagnosed Meniere's disease. For the back disorder, the Board found that the veteran incurred injury in service resulting in lumbosacral strain.

The Board denied service connection for dizziness, backaches, and headaches due to undiagnosed illness. The claims were not reopened for residuals of an abortion.